An article by the Sunday Times last week has suggested that plans to build a Chinese atomic reactor in Britain are reaching the final stages. Hinkley Point near Bridgwater in Somerset already has two plants and plans for a new development are to receive backing from a combination of French nuclear leaders EDF Energy, China General Nuclear Power Corporation and China National Nuclear Corporation. Negotiations are due to continue with expectations for the plans to be given the go ahead in the near future.

As a result, much of the subcontracted work is expected to be given to British firms according to an article by The Manufacturer. A variety of big companies are expected to bid for the contracts including Laing O'Rourke and Costain. Rolls Royce is also likely to be involved by providing technical and engineering services and agreeing to manufacturer components for the Hinkley Point C plant. A £400 million contract could be secured by Rolls Royce if they are chosen as the supplier for four reactors EDF plan to build in the UK.

If given the green light the construction of Hinkley Point C is expected to provide 25,000 new employment opportunities during the time it takes to build the nuclear plants and a total of 5,600 people will be employed on the site at peak times. A minimum of 3 million tonnes of concrete and 230,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement will be used to successfully construct the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant.

The development of Hinkley Point C will include two nuclear reactor units, two turbine halls, a cooling water infrastructure, fuel and waste management facilities and an electricity transmission infrastructure. The plant will be capable of generating 3260 MW and will be placed next to two existing plants of which one is soon to be decommissioned.